Always you give us a unique perspective. Fresh and exciting work, Jude!
Sheila

the inimitable flimflam man circulates whenever there is opportunity throughout history -- politicians among the most notable -- but many are would-be ventriloquist, as you so ably dub them -- the consequences of their lust for power always results in grief for the general populous of mother earth -- they paint the sky with hues of disillusionment -- peace and love my friend -- Jon Michael

intriqued Robert, good one, aaround those of woe, my mind speaks, but the words don't come out until after I leave, sometimes they catch the mubble, then ask what I said, I say nothing, then curse later, "that azzhole pissed me off I got out of there just in time before my brain went to my mouth, cheers

"tongue-tied tsunami" is an effective image Jude,
and there is some 'persuasive phraseology', too, in your invention ...
"refractive nature"
"prosaic monologue"
"reciprocal laughs"
Enjoyed the insight ...

I don't think he's a dummy, or a genious. Excellent write Jude.

profound and powerful piece... leaves the reader pause... great pen!

xx

A wonderful characterization Jude.

awesome and thought provoking-i love the process here!

Hope he's me. Tantalizing take.

Ron

This is excellent, Jude, perhaps a bit like a fever dream, yet with such a tight grasp upon imaginative reality. Hmmm nearly sounds like an oxymoron, imaginative reality, but we both know differently, don't we. I got caught up in the vapor of this piece, taking me back to thoughts that have wisped through my mind during meditation. Profound and thought provoking.

Take care,

Sherry

thanx for catching the typo, Kate ...

I was just going to say that....

Very nice, Jude!

:))) Oh yes, indeedy. This is just FASCINATING!! I adore Sage's take on the whole thing: it reminds me so much of a poem I wrote called Poetic Alchemy and of my beautiful encounter with New York "Bagman", Steve Prosser, when he spoke to me of the power of Vietnamese puppetry. Besides which, the modern-day myth that I'm writing involves the "I" sleeping coiled around the root of the Voice which is situated behind the navel... it's a Shakra point, isn't it? The resonance of your particular voicing often seems to come from there, it seems to me... It's funny how we can pick these things up even from the page: some of us speak from the top of our chest, from our shallower lungs and our "speech" is more light and breathy. A lot of your stuff "rumbles"... like thunder... or a stomach, to pick up on Sage's speak! I love this stuff. :))

And I love to weave this in with lines from your previous "solicitation":

words spill onto the parchment pavement
through syllables of quintessential nature,

creatively arousing the flora of her poetic lips
and the movement of my artistic hands

all for idea, motif and method:
lifting the skirt of this poem’s undress …

!!! Just the way my mind works! :)) Perhaps I need a serious talking to...

PS... last line penultimate stanza: metal works well, but, in context, methinks so also would "mental", (without) physical sleight of hand or the intention of also confusing the thought processes.

Another one of your absolute bests, I think. Funny how such lucid creative and visionary qualities can be released at times of fever or sickness. Be well, Kartero, and off I shoot to post some Magic Realism of my own... how I do so adore it!

pinoKKhia Kate xx

....captivating piece Jude, excellent!

A very thought provoking write, Jude. There are some wondrous images, and the anthropomorphic melding of the imagery is absolutely magical.

I enjoyed and pondered the write but the comments and reviews this poetry generated truly amazed me for they seemed to be reaching into that nether space between the lines for the answers that your choices of words and lines created...myself, I just try not to be accused of throwing my own voice and stand vigialant against those who may.

Fee

he’s either an insensible dummy
or an articulated genius,

Most interesting, Jude. I learned a lot from this thought-inciting piece. Thank you. Love and peace to you,

Regis

Jude,
I also liked the phrase Gene chose,
He's either an insensible dummy
or an articulated genius,

Articulated genius are the people who write their material...

In the present world, most of our "ventriloquists" are puppets and only repeat and live the life of a puppet. We find this in all walks of life, class of people, but the saddest place is in our government, where the people who make decisions and laws are the biggest voice from unscrupulous places. It is getting pretty scary out there, not sure where we are headed but it isn't toward the good of mankind.

Thank you for this profound piece of excellent poetry.

Much peace, love, and light, my dear friend,
Amber "V"

The voice of the ventriloquist is all around us,
from pulpit or politician's podium...

he’s either an insensible dummy
or an articulated genius,

all too often attempting to shape our lives by illusion...?

Provocative and thoughtful, Jude.

Deep down I know you are trying to tell me something, and after I reach for the derivatives, I knew just what, but the cheque bounced, and I am the poorer for it. Bless you! Jasmin Horst

Jude, a profound piece of writing ... well done.

Cheers,
Dan

Outstanding poem Jude...you bring the ventriloquists to life with your remarkable profile that has me seeing them more clearly than I had before. Working off your exceptional detail, Sage extended the profile even more with her boundless knowledge...
Superb metaphor for politicians;-)

Eileen

Most interesting, my friend, and probably why I no longer listen to speeches by politicians.

Ventriloquist are the only ones that for ages could maintain a conversation without the help of another person.
But today, in the streets, halls, cinemas, offices, EVERYWHERE!!! there are millions of them, apparently talking to themselves and answering questions that only they hear in their heads since the cell phones little and invisible appendage...

Georg

Jude,
In tandem with Sage's erudite history and etymology, this fine gastromancy is for me a commentary on the skills and deceptions of orators and politicians of all times, the double-speak they subject us to.
John

This fits my unspoken dreams.

Biblical and Greek - ventriloquist originally a religious practice. Latin for to speak from the stomach. The Greeks called this gastromancy. Noises produced by the stomach were thought to be the voices of the dead. The ventriloquist would then interpret the sounds, as they were thought able to speak to the dead, as well as to foretell the future.

The earliest recorded group of prophets to use this technique was the Pythia, the priestess at the temple of Apollo in Delphi, who acted as the conduit for the Delphic Oracle. Python became one of the most common words used in classical Jewish and early Christian writing to refer to necromantic ventriloquism, it has even been used by some early English versions of the bible to translate the word gastromancy in the Septuagint, and in the Book of Acts[2].

In the Middle Ages it was thought to be similar to witchcraft. As Spiritualism led to stage magic and escapology, so ventriloquism became more of a performance art as, starting around the 19th century, it shed its mystical trappings.

Other parts of the world also have a tradition of ventriloquism for ritual or religious purposes; the Zulus, Eskimo, and Maori are all adept at this practice. I'm looking into a flexible latex Firebrand puppet and not the traditional and familiar hard-headed knee figure puppet - lips slightly separated for the bilabial sounds...listen quick!

Sage